Opposition hits out at referendum talk

ANKARA - Hürriyet Daily News

Loğoğlu says Erdoğan is attempting to redesign the country’s agenda.AA photo

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s recent remarks suggesting that a constitutional referendum could be held next year are an attempt to redesign the agenda of the country, according to the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP).

Stagnation or probable problems concerning the “resolution process,” may be the reason behind such a move, CHP Deputy Chair Faruk Loğoğlu said in response to a question at a press conference yesterday. The resolution process refers to the government-led process aimed at ending a three-decade long conflict between Turkey’s security forces and the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

In remarks delivered during a visit to the U.S. and published in newspapers May 19, Erdoğan voiced readiness to bring his party’s own draft Constitution to a people’s vote in absence of a consensus in Turkey’s much-anticipated parliamentary work to write a new Constitution, while also arguing that this could happen in 2014.

Three elections

Asked to comment on these remarks, Loğoğlu first of all noted that the CHP’s authorized bodies had not yet assessed the issue. “Then, why is he doing it, why is he doing it at the moment? I tie this to the resolution process,” he said, describing Erdoğan’s move as an effort toward “redesigning Turkey’s agenda.”

“I reckon there may be some stagnation and troubles there [along the process],” he said.
Local elections will be held in March 2014 and presidential elections in August 2014. Parliamentary elections will be held in June 2015.